Tag: Veterans and Military Families

With less than a week before the U.S. is expected to start defaulting on its loans, Goodwill Industries International (GII) sent a letter to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives urging it to maintain funding for programs that assist people Goodwill serves, including individuals with disabilities, youth, adults, dislocated workers, older workers, veteran, people with a criminal background and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients.

READ MORE from Goodwill Urges Congress to Preserve Funding Supporting Job Seekers, Pell Grants in Debt Reduction Deal

Before coming to Goodwill®, I was out of work living in Hahira, GA, and struggling just to get gas money to come to Valdosta to look for a job. My primary work experience included auto sales and finance collections — I had 17 years in auto sales and 13 years in finance. To my disappointment, I was unable to find a job in those fields. I began looking at other careers, but my age of 65 seemed to hold me back, as many employers wanted to hire at younger ages. Besides being 65, I’m also a disabled veteran, so there were some physical requirements I was not able to meet for a lot of job openings.

READ MORE from My Story: Johnnie Parker

For many, Memorial Day marks the start of summer, and is a day for barbeques, trips to the beach, and time with family and friends. However, the true meaning of Memorial Day (once known as Decoration Day) is to remember the soldiers who have died in service to our country. But soldiers are not the only ones who make a sacrifice -- their families often have to make sacrifices as well. Organizations around the country are banding together to help our troops and their families gain the resources to meet their needs. If you're a military member, military spouse or veteran, the Goodwill in your community can work with you to create an individualized plan to help you identify and set realistic and achievable goals.

READ MORE from Support Military Families and Veterans This Memorial Day

Last week, millions of Americans watched the State of the Union. In outlining his strategy for “winning the future,” President Obama highlighted the need to create jobs by out-innovating, out-educating, and out-building the rest of the world. He also focused on the need to reduce the deficit. Among budget-cutting strategies he outlined was a proposal to freeze annual spending for the next five years, exempting education, defense, veterans affairs, homeland security, Medicare, and Social Security.

READ MORE from “Winning the Future” Requires a Win-Today Workforce

On December 21, 2010, the U.S. Congress passed a “continuing resolution” (CR) to temporarily fund federal programs until March 4, 2011. The bill is expected to be signed by President Obama today. As cleared, the bill would increase government spending by $1.16 billion in fiscal 2011 compared with fiscal 2010. The bill also includes millions of dollars in additional funds for a variety of federal programs, including some aimed at aiding veterans and students.

READ MORE from Congress Passes Temporary Spending Bill: Sets Stage for Funding Battle Next Year

Veterans Day is an opportunity for us to honor members of the armed services who have served our country and made tremendous sacrifices to protect our nation. Today, we invite you to join Goodwill in recognizing over 22 million veterans and thousands of deployed soldiers for their bravery and service, as well as another group that often goes unnoticed - military families. From physical injuries to psychological distress, many veterans are left with battle wounds that deeply affect their ability to find jobs, rekindle relationships and transition back into civilian life. Moreover, the families coping with those challenges often experience stress, depression and can feel isolated – all of which makes it difficult to achieve financial and emotional stability.

READ MORE from Honor and Support Our Military This Veterans Day